1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a golf club head, and, more particularly, to a golf club head of the so-called xe2x80x9cwoodxe2x80x9d variety providing improved ball striking prospects over a wide range of ball lie situations.
2. Description of Related Art
In the game of golf, the ball typically is hit on each hole onto the fairway (closely clipped grass) or into what is termed the xe2x80x9croughxe2x80x9d adjacent the fairway where the grass is longer and may be mixed with all sorts weeds, rocks and other foreign objects. Also, according to the rules of golf the ball is played where it lies (i.e., where it was hit to) and cannot usually be moved to improve the lie without penalty. Still further, the slope of the ground can be found to vary considerably from one location to another even though the locations are quite close to each other. All of these various factors, taken individually or collectively, can make any given ball lie difficult to be reliably struck with a golf club so that reasonable direction and flight distance are achieved. Moreover, the longer the desired flight for the ball being struck in a bad lie, the poorer the prospects of achievement with standard clubs especially when using the longer fairway woods (e.g., numbers 3, 4 and 5 woods).
There have been approaches made in the past to provide optimum results to someone having a sloping lie, the ball is located down within grass, or the lie includes a hard smooth surface. Although the number of bad lie possibilities is practically infinite, a usual bad lie encountered by a player at least once per round, is to find the ball buried down within grass and still have a long way to the green. It is this kind of shot that the present invention achieves its most success in both reliably getting the ball up and out of the grass and moving it a substantial distance.
It is a primary object and aim of the present invention to provide a golf club head of the wood variety that enhances the reliability of striking a ball situated in a less than good lie.
Another object is the provision of a golf club head as in the previous object which moves through grass during swinging of the club with a minimum of twisting or yanking of the club by the grass.
Yet another object is the provision of guides on the club head that reduce the tendency for the club to dig into the ground during an errant swing.
Still another object as in the previous object is the provision of a number of guide fins which serve to maintain the club head at a relatively constant angular plane to the ground as the club head is swung through a ground-based ball.